New York Chapter Plain ASCII Online Edition
N E W S L E T T E R Vol. 12, No. 5
AXIOS USA Inc. November 1995
Eastern & Orthodox Christian Gay Men and Women
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In this issue:
Cover: Icon of St. Nicholas and Akathist
Sin, Evil and AIDS, by John A. Bonnage..........................p. 3
Romania.........................................................p. 4
World AIDS Day..................................................p. 4
_Outing Yourself_, by M. Signorile: a Review by Pasisozis.......p. 5
News: Abp. Iakovos and the Patriarchate.........................p. 5
Macedonia.......................................................p. 5
Maine victory, Axios Christmas Party............................p. 6
From the Akathist, Oikos 2, to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker:
Teaching incomprehensible knowledge about the Holy Trinity,
you were, with the holy fathers in Nicaea, a champion of the Orthodox faith.
For you confessed the Son as the equal of the Father, co-eternal and
co-enthroned,
and you convicted the foolish Arius. Therefore you have taught the faithful
to sing to you.
Rejoice, great pillar of holiness!
Rejoice, city of refuge for the faithful!
Rejoice, firm stronghold of Orthodoxy!
Rejoice, wise goodness of the divinely wise!
Rejoice, for through you faith is strengthened!
Rejoice, Great Wonderworker Nicholas!
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A X I O S
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Eastern & Orthodox Christian Gay Men & Women
The Axios Newsletter is published every two months by Axios USA, Inc., a
nonprofit organization of Eastern and Orthodox Christian Lesbians and Gays
founded 1980 in Los Angeles, CA. The New York and other chapters were then
founded on the same principles. This year our New York chapter newsletter
enters its 12th year of publication. Submissions are most welcome and
encouraged; for example, articles on theology, Orthodox spirituality, lives
of saints, homosexuality and the Church, as well as news of relevance to the
Eastern and Orthodox gay and lesbian community. Please send also your
letters, comments and suggestions, so that we may better serve our
membership. Material should be clearly typed or in electronic format; we can
read most of the file formats in use today. Please call ahead before sending
via fax or modem. Axios meets in New York on the second Friday of each month
(the next meeting will be December 8, 1995) at the Lesbian and Gay Community
Services Center, 208 West 13th Street (near Seventh Avenue), in Manhattan,
at 8 p.m. Meetings begin with a Vespers service, followed by the particular
program or topic for that month's meeting. Special events are also scheduled
from time to time. Dues for Axios are still $18 per year, which includes a
subscription to this newsletter, and voting privileges in our elections.
Dues mailed in November and December 1995 will be applied to 1996 membership.
Please make checks payable to: Axios.
The appearance of the name or likeness of a person or organization in the
Axios Newsletter is not an indication of such party's sexual orientation
unless explicitly stated.
Axios is compiling an archive of all of the past issues of the newsletters.
Some of these issues, particularly those from before 1987, are in short
supply, and a good copy is needed so that it can be digitized and easily
reproduced. If you can help with this project or send a copy of an old
newsletter, please contact Nick at (718) 805-1952 or use the P.O. box or
e-mail. Thanks!
Our mailing address is: Axios
P.O. Box 990, Village Station
New York, NY 10014-0704
Telephones: (718) 805-1952 (voice/fax/modem)
(212) 989-6211 (voice)
(718) 463-2901 (voice)
E-mail: AxiosUSA@aol.com
URLs: ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/ba/battweb/axios/axios.html
http://www.qrd.org/qrd/www/orgs/axios
http://www.qrd.org/qrd/religion/eastern.orthodox
(Note: if www.qrd.org does not work, please use vector.casti.com instead).
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Sin, Evil and AIDS
by John A. Bonnage, M.Div., Ph.D.
Recently a book written by the Patriarch of Rome, John Paul, has renewed
discussion within the theological community of the question of why God allows
evil in the world. This is certainly a question that the gay community has
been grappling with for a long time as a result of its experience of
discrimination, hate and violence. The question has gained even greater
relevance since the appearance of the AIDS epidemic whose scythe of pain and
death has cut through the community.
But what are we dealing with here, when we talk about evil and its
relationship to God?
In the Old Testament perception, God was seen as a great and mighty
judge, a destroyer of armies, a jealous lover of His covenanted people. The
bond between God and the children of Abraham was like a marriage; it demanded
a reciprocal relationship of loyalty. God, the All-Powerful, would remain
loyal to the covenant and protect His own; and human beings kept their part
through circumcision and maintaining the Ten Commandments with the attendant
fasts, feasts and rituals. From this perspective, it is easy to see how if a
person broke the covenant then God's anger would be unleashed, either on the
miscreant or on the community.
Thus, there are those who see our human lives as being under the direct
and immediate control of God's justice. Any action on our part results in the
direct intervention of God in a type of "tit-for-tat" relationship. If you
commit sin, "God will get you". God is seen as the "celestial accountant" who
is constantly keeping tally of everything that we do and metes out justice in
the form of death and punishment for evildoers. This approach parallels the
perspective seen in the scripture reading of the man born blind. It is easy
to understand why Christ is asked the reason that the man was born blind:
"Was it he who sinned or his father before him?"
But the Lord teaches us that this happened "so that the glory of God
might be revealed" This man's blindness provided the opportunity for the
Christos--the "Anointed One"--to show forth the power of God by curing him of
his affliction.
But in many ways, we can be misled in accepting the scriptural story
only at its face value. While the Old Testament view of God as a Judge with
the scales of justice might have been valid up to the time of the Lord's
preaching and teaching, our human perspective on God was given a whole new
outlook as a result of Christ's redemption. This change of perspective for
people of faith was crystallized in the Lord's Prayer, in which the Lord God
of Abraham, the Creator of All, the ruthless destroyer of earth at the time
of the flood, the One whose name is never uttered, is unexpectedly, and --
for that time: scandalously -- addressed as "our Father".
Christ's model prayer teaches us to call upon God as our "father" in
heaven, thereby changing the perspective of the relationship between heaven
and earth. The healing of the blind man and the questions about "guilt"
occurred prior to Christ's death on the Cross and His resurrection from the
dead in glory. When the events of Salvation occurred, when the curtain in the
Temple was ripped open at the death of Christ, there also occurred a change
in humanity's relationship with God. The act of redemption was completed. The
relationship was further changed when Christ promised that the Father would
send the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, to be with us until He returned. And so,
the relationship between God and humanity was further -- and forever --
changed.
As Christ's life, death and resurrection changed our relationship with
God, so must our perspective on evil change. Instead of treating God as a
celestial judge, jury and corrections officer, Christ tells us to understand
God as a father, a parent with unequivocal love for His children, a parent
who will do what He can to protect us from evil and from our own stupid
choices. Yet, evil exists in this world; we encounter it every day. And on
some occasions we ourselves are responsible for it. But it is a mistake for
Christians to blame God for the presence of evil in our lives. Christ changed
the values in the God/Man equation; it went from Cop/Criminal to
Parent/Child. Our new covenant obligation is to love God and to love one
another as best we can.
Our struggle for betterment, our struggle to avoid evil and pain, is our
own individual struggle. God, our Father, through the help of the Paraclete,
will provide support, guidance and assistance in our efforts, but we are
still human and we still make our own choices. We are still subject to the
reality that is evil, for it is we ourselves and our human imperfect
existence, that are the sources of it. We are not perfect: all-knowing,
all-powerful, all-good. If we were these things, then we would be equal to
God. But we aren't. Our limitations of knowledge, our limitations of power,
our limitations of goodness all serve as sources of pain and evil in our own
lives and in the lives of others.
But the reality of the New Covenant, the reality of God as our Father in
heaven and the reality of Love as the divine standard, all of these can be
the bulwark against the onslaught of pain and evil. While we may still
experience greater or lesser amounts of pain and evil in our lives, our firm
faith in the parental love of God and the continuation of loving
relationships with loving people and communities mitigates the pain that we
feel.
Many times, in caring for people who have suffered pain, sickness and
loss, we remark that someone who has had a lot of support and care from
loving people has received a true blessing. At the same time, we feel sorry
for those who suffer alone, who are friendless and isolated. They are truly
worthy of pity. And we come to realize that the love given to and received
from one's neighbors and the mutual love relationship with God give
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strength to overcome the most devastating aspects of pain and suffering. And
so, while we cannot banish pain and evil from our lives, we do have an
instrument that will diminish it: love.
And so, brothers and sisters, let's not be afraid to love and truly
cherish one another. And let us not forget to pray: "lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the Kingdom, the Power
and the Glory -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen."
Romania Eases Antigay Policy
Bucharest, Romania, October 3, 1995 (N.W. D.C. News) -- Romania has
eased a communist-era ban on homosexuality, with a parliamentary vote to make
gay sex a crime only if it creates a public scandal.
Late Monday parliament's lower Chamber of Deputies voted changes to the
penal code, punishing homosexuality with up to five years in jail if it stirs
a "public scandal" and with up to seven years if it involves under-age
persons. [Ed. note: It would seem that this "public scandal" provision still
gives a green light to homophobia, and can easily be abused.]
IC XC U NI KA
World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day will be observed on Thursday, November 30, 1995. Once
again, there will be an ecumenical City-Wide Service of Hope and Remembrance
in New York City. A candlelight procession will form at First Presbyterian
Church, 12 West 12th Street (at Fifth Avenue), New York, at 6:00 p.m.
Participants will proceed to the Church of St. Francis Xavier at 30 West 16th
Street, where the service will continue at 6:30 p.m. There is a
handicapped-accessible entrance at 55 West 15th Street. The service is
sponsored by AIDS Interfaith New York.
Axios will participate in this event as it has done in previous years.
All members and friends, both clergy and laity, are cordially invited to join
our contingent. Look for the Axios banner at the starting location.
A Guide to the Great Out-(of the Closet)-Doors
Smaragdinopoleos K. Pasisozis
Outing Yourself: How to Come Out as a Lesbian or Gay to your Family, Friends
and Coworkers
by Michelangelo Signorile (New York: Random House, 1995) xxx + 172 pp., no
index.
Two years ago, I realized something that caused a major shock. I knew I had
always lived in a dark place, but in my mid-forties, I was realizing that
this dark place was in fact a closet. Anguish was realizing this; terror was
sharing it with a few friends; relief and joy was their acceptance and
support; liberation and invigoration was leaving the closet once and for all,
nailing it shut behind me. All this I found echoed in the experiences of
others as recounted in Outing Yourself by Michelangelo Signorile.
Outing Yourself is described on the dust jacket as "a revolutionary
fourteen-step guide to coming out of the closet". I would hardly call it
revolutionary. But it is certainly methodical and logical. What might be
revolutionary about it is giving a guide to a murky process that most of us
have stumbled through by trial-and-error; some successfully, some not so
well. The experiences of many other gay men and women are recounted here. The
comfort and reassurance that my experience is quite normal (as queers go) was
consoling. And the book's instructions can help lesbians, gays, and their
families navigate what at first seems to be a certain crash-and-burn
experience.
There are heart-warming stories. The grandmother who told her adult gay
grandson, "I know you don't like girls. I watch all of the talk shows, I know
what's going on in the world. . .When you get to my age a lot of things don't
bother you that used to bother you. You realize that a lot of things aren't
important enough to get upset over. What's important is that people are
happy." The homophobic mother who realized that she had believed lies about
homosexuals when her son came out to her. There are other stories, just as
typical, of not-so-happy endings. But Outing Yourself doesn't try to hide
this possibility. It deals with truth, and helps the gay person in the
journey of self- acceptance and self-discovery and self-sharing. For me, the
best thing about this book was the stories of many other gay men and women.
Their experiences and feelings, even when not echoes of my own, nevertheless
resonated in my heart.
This book has a few flaws. An index would be helpful. A list of organizations
such as P-FLAG would be useful. And some of the author's own political
correctness, attitude, and superiority towards those who might disagree with
him mar the book. If the reader dislikes transvestites or sado-masochism,
Signorile inaccurately attributes it to the reader's own "internalized
homophobia." Nonsense! Maybe I don't like s/m or such because I don't like to
see anyone degraded or humiliated or subjected to pain. Maybe I don't like
skag drag because I think it is insulting to women. Maybe I don't like
hearing men referred to in the feminine because I find it confusing,
especially if I don't know the people involved. Is whoever a HE-she or a
SHE-she? Later, he repeats his patronizing yet asinine remarks about how
those who may disagree with him suffer from "deep self- loathing." But I will
give him credit: he also acknowledges that anyone familiar with his writings
know his lack of patience for those still living in the closet.
But Mr. Signorile--we all of us don't leave the closet until we're ready.
Even you! So please try to remember that, OK? Nevertheless, this book is a
good guide to a difficult process. As with anything else, take what is
helpful and leave the rest. Chew the meat and spit out the bone.
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Bulletins on recent events regarding the Patriarchate and the retirement of
Abp. Iakovos:
The Problem in the Archbishopric of North And South America Is Being Settled
Thessaloniki, Greece, October 14, 1995 (Macedonian Press Agency) -- The
meeting in New York held between the Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
in Constantinople, headed by Archbishop of Australia, Stylianos, the Synod of
Bishops of the Greek Orthodox Archbishopric of North and South America, the
Archbishop of North and South America, Iakovos and members of the
Archbishopric Council was completed late last night. Iakovos refused to make
any statements after the end of the meeting.
Archbishop of Australia, Stylianos stated that there is excellent
cooperation between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Archbishopric of
North and South America [which is] necessary for the Church in order to move
ahead towards a new era.
Relations between the Phanar and Iakovos better
Athens, Greece, October 16th, 1995 (ANA) -- Recent friction between the top
echelons of the Greek Orthodox church eased substantially over the weekend as
the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Archbishop of North and
South America Iakovos agreed the latter would continue in his position until
June 1996.
Iakovos announced last August that he was stepping down, a resignation
Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos immediately accepted. However, the
influential Greek-American ecclesiastical leader reportedly came under
intense pressure to postpone his retirement and announced he had had a change
of heart after a return to New York following an official visit to Greece
over the summer.
Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou is reported to have called on the
84-year-old Imvros native to remain at his post, while main opposition New
Democracy leader Miltiades Evert is said to have requested from Vartholomeos
to also extend Iakovos' tenure. Mr. Evert met with the Patriarch in Patmos
last month.
Both Athens and Greek-American circles consider Iakovos' presence pivotal to
Greece's national interests in view of next year's U.S. presidential
elections. However, the Patriarchate disputed the notion and declared its
intention to hold Iakovos' stated resignation as binding.
Following a meeting last week with high-ranking archbishops comprising a
Patriarchal Exarchate sent to Iakovos' New York headquarters, differences
were smoothed over, thus leading to the extension.
The June 1996 date will also effectively extend procedures for selection of a
new archbishop past next year's US presidential elections.
ATHENS NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN (No 716), 10/16/95
Greek Press & Information Office
Ottawa, Canada
E-Mail Address: grnewsca@globalx.net
"Athens News Agency Bulletin" archive available at
http://www.hri.org/news/greek/ana
Macedonian Situation Uncertain
by Nicholas Zymaris
Skopje, FYROM and Athens, Greece, Sep.-Oct. 1995 -- The governments of Greece
and of the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia have grudgingly agreed to
end their dispute which has been smoldering ever since Macedonia declared
independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.
Ever since this time, Greece has considered Macedonia's use of this name
as constituting a claim on Greek territory. Greece has considered itself the
only country which may use this name, since Macedonia in the time of
Alexander the Great was a Hellenistic empire. (Since then, Slavs, Vlachs,
Bulgarians, and other ethnic groups have made the region their home.
However, after population exchanges following the Balkan Wars, the Greek part
of Macedonia was almost entirely Greek, and the Slavic part almost entirely
Slavic).
In the 1940's, there was a rise in Slavic Macedonian nationalism, which
did indeed aspire to the seizing of Greek Macedonia, particularly the port of
Thessaloniki. However, by the 1960's, this was felt to be a closed chapter
in the history of the region. This all changed in 1991 when Macedonia split
from what was left of Yugoslavia. While Slavic Macedonian nationalism was
involved in this, a moderate government headed by Kiro Gligorov was elected,
which did not attempt any acquisition of Greek territory. Greece was
alarmed, however, by the Macedonian flag, which uses the same sixteen-pointed
star which was used by Alexander the Great and which appears on Hellenistic
tombs. There was also the issue of the Macedonian constitution, whose
reference to "all Macedonians everywhere" could serve as fodder for those
with designs on Greece. Thus, Greece imposed a blockade on Slavic Macedonia
in February 1994, and has been vigorously campaigning for the international
community to not recognize the Skopje government, and not to use the name
"Macedonia." This is why the acronym "FYROM" ("Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia") was coined, so that the nation could be referred to without
explicitly using the name
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"Macedonia"; in fact, at first this nation was listed under "T" at the United
Nations, for the initial "The" appended to the provisional name. Other
European Union (EU) nations have considered Greece's campaign as an attempt
to destabilize its northern neighbor.
However, with recent prospects of peace in Bosnia, the two nations
sought to mend their feud, to avoid further economic loss from inability to
trade with Northern Europe via the road that runs right through both
Macedonias and then through Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia to Austria and
Italy. If Bosnia and the rest of former Yugoslavia should become safe for
international trade, the losses would be much higher; Greek exporters have
already lost an estimated $200 million, according to The Economist (Sep. 16,
1995, p. 64). Macedonians north of the border say that their losses have
been about $40 million per month.
As a result, Gligorov, Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and U.S.
negotiator Richard Holbrooke worked out an agreement, which stipulates that
Greece lift the blockade within thirty days and cease to veto EU aid to
Macedonia. Holders of Macedonian passports would once again be permitted to
enter Greece for tourism or business. In return, Macedonia promises to
remove the star from its flag and change the two articles in its constitution
to eliminate any possibility of it being seen as advocating the seizing of
Greek territory. Unfortunately, the seemingly thorniest issue of all, that
of what name Macedonia will use, was not worked out. The entire agreement
was then put in jeopardy as a result of an assassination attempt on Gligorov,
which left him severely injured; if he dies, it is likely that an extremist
could succeed him and disregard the agreement.
Axios Christmas Party
The Tenth Annual Axios - New York Anniversary Christmas Party will be
held on Friday, January 12, 1996, 8 p.m. at the Lesbian and Gay Community
Services Center after our Vespers service. Please bring food, drink and
friends -- all are welcome!
Maine Voters Reject Anti-Gay Ballot Measure
Portland, Maine, November 7, 1995 (Human Rights Campaign) -- Voters in Maine
today rejected Question 1, despite efforts by anti-gay extremists to obscure
the purpose of the measure. It was the first such initiative to appear on a
state ballot east of the Rocky Mountains. Last year, voters in Idaho and
Oregon rejected anti-gay measures. The final tally showed Question 1
defeated by a margin of 54 to 46 percent. This is the largest margin of
defeat for any statewide antigay ballot measure.
National extreme right groups actively pushed for a "yes" vote on
Question 1. Bob Knight of the Family Research Council toured the state
calling on voters to approve the measure, as did Beverly LaHaye of Concerned
Women for America (CWA). [Ed. note: Ms. LaHaye is notorious already for her
past anti-gay activity, especially her recently-circulated CWA fundraising
letter, which relies on outrageous anti-gay lies, slanders and stereotypes to
scare people into contributing]. Focus on the Family also aired radio
advertisements in favor of the initiative.
Unlike earlier anti-gay measures, the language of Question 1 avoided
mentioning lesbian and gay people. The question asked voters to limit
"protected classifications" in current and future state and local laws to ten
specific categories -- not including sexual orientation. The measure would
have repealed two local non-discrimination laws that include gay people, and
would have prohibited communities from passing such laws in the future. No
federal or Maine state law protects people from being fired, refused work, or
otherwise discriminated against merely for being lesbian or gay. Question 1
was written by Bruce Fein, a right-wing lawyer based in Virginia, to
circumvent court decisions saying that gays should not be singled out for
discrimination.
Maine Won't Discriminate, which is a local coalition of religious,
business and community organizations, and the Human Rights Campaign led the
fight against the measure.